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The Reading Festival, which takes place at Little John’s Farm on Richfield Avenue in central Reading, is the world’s oldest popular music festival. In 1961, its premier year, it was the National Jazz Festival, but by the ’70s, seeking inspiration from the American scene, the Reading Festival morphed into a progressive rock, blues and heavy metal festival. Now, the festival boasts a 80,000-person occupancy and up to seven stages and tents. The stages hold a massive assortment of musicians, from up-and-coming to world renown. Tickets are currently on sale, but the only artists that have been confirmed to play are Eminem (who will be headlining), as well as Deftones, Alt-J, Sub Focus, and Boy Better Know.

The Reading Festival has a longstanding tradition of “bottling artists off,” (booing and throwing things at artists, so they are forced offstage) which they do not enjoy. (This would never happen in the United States.) In 1983, Steel Pulse was booed off quickly and viciously by a group of punks and rockers who had banded together to see the band Strangers. In 1988, headliner Meat Loaf was initially being casually bottled, but left after being hit with 2-litre bottle of cider. Ouch. In 2004, 50 Cent threw his microphone into the crowd, after being repeatedly pelted. The good news is, the rampant bottle and can fights of the 1970s and 1980s have been curbed thanks to increased security.

Reading Festival 2013 Tickets

Reading Festival Festival 2013 Dates

August 23rd – 25th, 2013

Reading Festival Festival 2013 Lineup

Only a few bands have been announced so far: Eminem will be headlining, with Deftones, Alt-J, Sub Focus, and Boy Better Know also playing. More bands are still to be announced, but with three days and five stages, expect anyone.